Future development of gas in tight sandstones is highly dependent upon price and the state of technology, including detailed understanding of internal and external reservoir geometry. Part of the tight gas resource lies in blanket-geometry, siliciclastic sandstones; over 30 such sandstones in 16 sedimentary basins and at depths mostly less than 10,000 ft (3,000 m) were reviewed for the Gas Research Institute. Emphasis was placed on depositional systems and resulting lithogenetic facies as an important control on sand body geometry.

In contrast to lenticular sandstones, blanket-geometry tight gas sandstones were deposited as deltaic, barrier strand plain, and shelf systems. Overlap occurs between systems, as in the case of a strand plain developed marginal to a deltaic depocenter. Not all parts of all sandstones are tight (< 0.1 md permeability); tight areas vary from extensive ("J" Sandstone, Denver basin) to very limited (Hartselle Sandstone, Black Warrior basin). Five stratigraphic units were selected from which developments in reservoir characterization, fracture treatment, and other technologies can likely be extrapolated to a wider group of tight gas reservoirs.

The Travis Peak Formation (East Texas basin/North Louisiana salt basin) is a fan delta system. It ranges in depth from 3,000 to 11,000 ft (900 to 3,350 m), with net pay of 30 to 86 ft (9 to 26 m) and post-stimulation gas flows of 500 to 1,500 MCFGD. The Frontier Formation (Greater Green River basin) is a wave-dominated

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deltaic system with associated barrier strand plain facies; shallower prospective areas range in depth from 7,000 to 12,000 ft (2,100 to 3,650 m). The Frontier has net pay of 10 to 90 ft (3 to 27 m) and post-stimulation gas flows up to 2,500 MCFGD. Characteristics of the Travis Peak have extrapolation potential to Tuscarora-Medina-"Clinton" sandstones of the Appalachian basin; deltaic facies of the Frontier may correspond to parts of the Davis Sandstone (Fort Worth basin), Olmos Formation (Maverick basin), and the Fox Hills Sandstone (eastern Greater Green River basin). Cozzette and Corcoran Sandstones (Piceance Creek basin) are predominantly barrier strand plain deposits; they range in depth from 2,500 to 8,000 ft (760 to 2,400 m), with net pay of 10 to 70 ft (3 to 21 m) each and pos -stimulation gas flows average 1,250 MCFGD. The upper Almond Formation (eastern Greater Green River basin) may contain more shallow marine and offshore bar than barrier strand plain facies. It occurs at depths of 6,000 to 15,000 ft (1,800 to 4,600 m), with net pay of 14 to 18 ft (4 to 5.5 m); and post-stimulation gas flows up to 1,700 MCFGD. The characteristics of the Cozzette, Corcoran, and upper Almond may be extrapolated to other marginal marine units in the Mesaverde Group and parts of the Dakota Sandstone in several Rocky Mountain basins. Shelf deposits include the Mancos "B" interval of the Mancos Shale (Piceance Creek and Uinta basins) at depths of 3,500 to 5,000 ft (1,000 to 1,500 m) in areas of recent drilling. Mancos "B" net pay ranges from 38 to 120 ft (11.5 to 36.5 m), and po t-stimulation gas flows range up to 350 to 1,200 and MCFGD. Extrapolation potential exists in the Anadarko basin and Northern Great Plains area.

These five stratigraphic units have potential for increased commercialization. By understanding the initial properties derived from the depositional setting of a tight gas sand, the explorationist can better extrapolate successful exploration, stimulation, and production techniques between reservoirs in similar depositional settings.

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